Rocket launching device



Cit 39 R94 c. H. JOLLY ROCKET LAUNCHING DEVICE Filed June 13, 1945 Il.. .III-Ill.

mvENToR CARL H. JOLLY ATTORNEY Patented on. 19, 194s UNITED STATES PATEITJT OFFICE nocxrz'r LAUNcmNG DEVICE cai-1n. Jolly, United snm Navy Appummn June 19, 1945, sensi No. 599,294

1 claim. (c1. sii-1.1)

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, '1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates to rocket launching devices for airplanes', and is directed particularly to those of the retractable type.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a rocketcarrying airplane with a retractable carriage which is housed within the body of the airplane during night so that its streamlined eifect is not disturbed, and which may be extended beyond the body of the airplane to place the rockets in position for firing in a line of travel parallel to the airplane thrust line beyond the propeller arch.

A further object isto provide a rocket launching device which permits an airplane such as of the FGF type to carry a greater load of rockets.

Other features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the specific embodiment thereof.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the airplane showing the retractable rocket carrying device with the rockets in position:

Fig. 2 is a front view with the device in its extended position;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the piston; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

carriage and the Referring to the accompanying drawings, the

numeral Ill refers to a bomb bay opened at its bottom portion in the airplane II. Along the forward and aft walls of the bay III there are a plurality of spaced rollers I2 along which the combination elevator and bomb rack I5 slides. The bomb rack I3 consists of rectangularly spaced box-like containers I4 separated by a piston rod I 5 with all three parts being rigidly mountedon a common base plate I6. Each of the rocket containers I4 are of suflicient width and length to receive a single row of rockets I1 mounted one upon the other. On the forward and aft walls of each of the containers I4 and at the lowermost portion thereof immediately adjacent to the base plate I8, are openings I9, I8 and I9, I9. The openings I8, IB are of sulcient size to permit the rockets I1 adjacent to the opening to leave the carriage I3 when set oif by customary rocket firing mechanism (not shown). The openings I9, I9 permit the escape of the burning gases generated by the rocket.

At the topmost portion of the piston rod I5 there is mounted thereon. a piston 20 which is slidably positioned in a cylinder 2| having an opening 22 in its bottom wall and ports 23 and 24 along the side wail at each end of the cylinder. The ports 23 and 24 which are connected to conduits 25 and 29, respectively, extend to a customary dual passageway reversing valve 21 which is in turn connected to a conduit 29 extending to a source of fluid under pressure (not shown) and a discharge conduit 29. The reversing valve 21 which is well known in the art, permits the source of fluid in the conduit 28 to flow through the conduit 25 and the opening 24, while the conduit 25 is in communication with the discharge line 29. In a second position of the valve 21 the source of iiuid under pressure will flow through the conduit 25 and into the opening 23 with the conduit 29 in communication wit-h the discharge line 29. As can be readily seen, when the valve 21 is inthe first of the above-mentioned positions, the piston 20 is forced downwardly carryingalong with it the rocket carriage, i4, I4, to its extended position, while the valve in its second position will cause the piston 20 to move upwardly to .place the rocket carriage I4 in its retracted or elevated position. lI'he piston rod I5 is of such length that with the device in its extreme positions, the openings I9, I9 through which the lowermost rockets are fired are positioned beyond the .propeller arch and when the device is elevated, the base plate I6 is flush.

with the surface of the airplane so that its streamlinedeect is not disturbed.

Although the present invention utilizes hydraulic means for lowering and elevating the rocket bomb rack. either hand or electrically operated means may be used.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described constitutes a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention, it is understood that: other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

'I'he invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royaities thereon or therefor.

What I claim is:

A missile launching device for airplanes comprising an open bay in an airplane, a vertically movable rack in said bay, said rack comprising a plurality of containers spaced from each other, each container being rectangular in cross-section and rigidly mounted on a common base plate. a plurality of missiles vertically positioned in each of said containers, an opening in each o! the forward and aft walls o1' said containers adjacent said base plate. -a piston rod rigidly mounted on said base plate of such length to house said rack within the airplane in one position and to place said openings in said rack beyond the prcpellerarch in line of travel parallel to the airplane thrust line in a second position, a cylinder in axial alignment with said piston rod, a piston iixed to the free end of said pistonrod and slidably mounted in said cylinder, an opening in each end of said cylinder, conduit means for placing one ci' said openings in communication with a source of uid under pressure and the other of said openings in a discharge outlet. 15

nuid through said CARL H. JOLLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ot this patent:

10 UNITED STATES PATENTS Y Number Name Date 1.636.451 Andrus July 19, 1927 1,890,142 Bollam Dec. 6, 1932 2,019,652 Brookley Nov. 5, 1935 2,193,139 Monteith et al Mar. 12, 1940 

